Resident Evil

In my mid-teens, when moving into a new house with my parents, I decided to spend the first few nights in the house by myself. Seems a foolish move now with all the knowledge I have gained since but at the time it seemed like a great idea. I was about 30 minutes into my longed for freedom when it became clear that I wasn't alone in the house. I could hear footsteps upstairs and I don't just mean 'oh, was that a noise', I mean FOOTSTEPS. With the knowledge that there was nobody upstairs (who would be attempting to rob this empty house anyway?) I phoned my friend (Chris Tarrant wasn't involved) and he came round to help me investigate. The 5 minutes between putting the phone down and his chap at the door was probably the most scared I have ever been. Anyway, we ventured upstairs and found that there was nobody there. Now remember there is nowhere for anyone to hide, it is an empty house. I sought refuge in my friends house a few streets away for the next two nights. Just to be safe. The footsteps continued until I moved out but that is a story for another blog.

The Resident deals with the issue of struggling for the alone time required to wind down after a long day in the emergency room. Hilary Swank is  a doctor who happens upon an under-priced New York apartment with a great view and an extremely accommodating landlord. Being a horror film and all there has to be something wrong with the picture. Swank's character Juliet unfortunately does not find her Romeo but has in fact just separated from her cheating boyfriend. Sounds like a good time to meet a new man and the handsome landlord in most circumstances would be perfect if it was not for the fact he is slight disturbed. From this circumstance ensues scenes of stalking, voyeurism and date(implied)rape. The occurrences begin to impact upon Juliet's working/romantic adventures and her suspicions are awakened by comparison of her current state with that of her usually well organised, pre-relocated self.

I am torn when it comes to considering the fact that I just came home from watching a Hammer film starring Christopher Lee. A few years ago it didn't even cross my mind as a possibility (unless as part of a horror/classic film fest) but as pleasing as that may be it does certainly raise the stakes and leads to a little disappointment at just how formulaic The Resident is.

It's tough for me to be objective when it comes to Christopher Lee. From Dracula to The Wicker Man and beyond Lee is so dignified in his appearance and performance that it is difficult to criticise. There isn't anything to criticise about his performance in The Resident. Lee is in a total of about 5 minutes film in the movie but in that time delivered a few memorable quips and continued to tread that line between gentleman and danger. I am able to ignore how frail Lee looks as I am all too aware that he is a member of the undead and it will take more than mere age to remove him from our screens.

The Resident does well to build a feeling of unease and the claustrophobic nature of the voyeurism adds to the feeling of being watched throughout the film. The film is well shot and the performance for the most part are strong; particularly Hilary Swank's. One of the main problems I found was in the performance of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Max (the pervert... imagine his billing was Max The Pervert; we could have had a proper exploitation flick on our hands). Morgan is excellent in his role as nice guy but struggles to create the intensity required for his role as voyeur. I felt sorry for Max more than I felt scared by Max. If his grandfather had been in a position to give him a good talking to then I feel this could all have been resolved over a (non-spiked) bottle of red wine.

That aside, The Resident is worth seeing, probably as a Friday Night date movie because you know your girl isn't going to want to be sleeping alone with the thought of someone under the bed licking her finger. We will just try and overlook the fact that it turns into A Nightmare on Elm Street for the last 15 minutes.

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Sir, Have These Children Never Heard of Jesus?

I consider The Wicker Man to be the best horror film of all time. For a film completely devoid of archetypal madmen, killings, screaming and the grotesque this is quite an achievement. The original theatrical version joins us with Sergeant Howie as he travels to the secluded Summerisle. The journey is a protracted one which emphasises the distance we are travelling from the mainland and its safe haven. Our lone policeman arrives on the island and immediately we feel that the locals, although not hostile, are at least suspicious of this outsiders presence.

From this point we follow Howie, played exceptionally by Edward Woodward, as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a young local girl Rowan Morrison. Early in the film I found it difficult to state my allegiance with either the locals or the protagonist as Howie’s  religious fervour can make you feel that his prudish behaviour and beliefs are to blame for his over-zealous interpretation of the regional customs. It does however become clear that forces are conspiring against the policeman who remains at least one step behind those he accuses throughout the body of the film.

Christopher Lee is given a sense of freedom by the character of Lord Summerisle. Set free from the constraints of the Hammer films which made him famous. As discussed during my previous blog, the character of Dracula has a tendency to capture the careers of those who become famous for their depiction. Lee has acknowledged The Wicker Man  as being one of his favourite career moments and it is clear he revels in the character. Summerisle seems no more than slightly eccentric a gentleman who looks to uphold the cultures and practices of old which are still practiced on his land that time (almost) forgot. That is until the celebratory processions which sees the town indulge in the rituals of a bygone era. It is no longer a lingering doubt of madness we feel apparent.  

Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man.

The ending is as horrifying as any ever put to film. The moral high ground has been absolute in its failure to protect Sergeant Howie as he is imprisoned and sacrificed as an offering to the Sun God in the hope of a successful crop the coming summer. The film concludes with a zoom into the setting sun as The Wicker Man and its contents burn.

The influence of The Wicker Man is hard to trace specifically. Problems with distribution hindered the original release and reception was lukewarm at best. Paul Giovanni’s soundtrack has been influential in the folk music genre but the film is so specific in time and depiction that it is difficult to reference for those in direct appreciation.

I have never seen the remake of this classic British horror. For me, the ‘British’ element is absolutely key to the success of The Wicker Man, as is the period. Director Robin Hardy is due to release what he has termed a “spiritual sequel” titled The Wicker Tree which is due for release in 2011.

In his notes for film, Ryan Gilbey states that “You never feel quite the same again after seeing The Wicker Man”. I concur.